


The Followed

by SpokenOutcast



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Discord: Bellamione Coven, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:49:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22766539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpokenOutcast/pseuds/SpokenOutcast
Summary: Hermione is walking, Bellatrix is running. Hermione sees Bellatrix, Bellatrix takes a chance on Hermione.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	The Followed

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't really bother to edit so if there are glaring mistakes, my bad. I've been reluctant to post more multichapter things because I lost interest in my last two projects, but this one seems more manageable. Let's see where it goes. Also, if you want to join the Bellamione Coven Discord, feel free! https://discord.gg/rAKhWJQ

Hermione was walking along, hands in pockets, staring at her shoes as the traveled across the sidewalk. She wasn't going anywhere in particular but she was sick of being cooped up in her apartment all day. She wanted out! To go explore the city a little, which she had little chance to do up until now mind you. This was her chance, her great escape—except it wasn't so great after all. She averted her gaze from the ground to the homeless man rattling a tin and asking for change. The sidewalk was covered with homeless folks if you paid enough attention, not only that, tents were under the nearby bridge and she'd heard about the folks who slept in the park on benches or under trees. One morning an ambulance arrived at the park, they were too late to save the woman who'd fallen asleep and didn't wake up.

Ah yes, this city, an extravagant place full of extravagant people. She didn't spare any change because she didn't carry cash these days. All of her purchases were made by card and most of her transactions were made in apps anyway. She kicked a stray pebble into the road and watched it tumble only to be run over by a passing car. She stopped walking and looked up. 

There was a woman looking at her. 

In fact, that very woman was making a beeline straight for her. She looked behind her but nobody else had stopped walking, it was just her and the foot traffic making its way around her, as if she were an orange cone on top of a sewer grate. 

She blinked. Once. Twice.

Then the woman stopped in front of her and said, 

“Hey! Long time no see! Do you want to go grab a drink or something to catch up?” Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. She'd never met this woman once in her life, she was certain she'd remember someone who so masterfully painted their lips red and wore all black and had porcelain skin—oh god. She swallowed hard.

“I don't--” she cut herself off when she saw someone watching them over the shorter woman's shoulder. “Are you being followed?” She asked. The woman nodded but kept a smile plastered on her face. Hermione didn't miss the tears building up in her eyes.

“What have you been up to lately?” She asked, as she walked next to Hermione prompting the girl to turn around and walk next to her. When they started walking the strange woman put her arm around Hermione's and held on as if they'd done this a million times before. 

“Oh you know, the usual,” she offered, “just thought I'd get out and appreciate the fresh air for a while. I've been cooped up inside my apartment for too long. You mentioned getting a drink, do you know a place?” She hoped the woman got her message, some of it was simple chit chat to cover up the much darker conversation they were both having.

“I do, actually. A few blocks down and to the right. There's a quaint little cafe I've always wanted to visit but never wanted to go alone. How does that sound?” Hermione shrugged.

“It sounds good enough to me, lead the way.” 

And so she did. They walked a few blocks and took a right before quickly darting into what must have been the cafe given the strong aroma of coffee. They both darted towards the side of the window and Hermione saw the strange bald man quickly walk by before turning around and looking far more agitated than he had when she first noticed him. They both released a breath they didn't know they'd been holding. 

“Thank you,” the stranger broke the silence they'd enveloped themselves in.

“No problem. Are you good to walk back home alone or...?” The woman bit her bottom lip nervously before Hermione had even finished asking the question. “I can walk you if you want. It's okay, really.” 

“I would like that but...I don't...” Then it dawned on Hermione that maybe she'd assumed something about the woman she didn't mean to. This stranger was potentially homeless, or perhaps she'd been living with the man that was just following them and couldn't go back. 

“Oh, do you...not have anywhere to go?” She shrugged. “Well then let's get some tea while we're here, get to know each other and then...go back to my place. There's no catch, I have a couch you could stay on for the night.”

“You don't even know me,” she muttered.

“I know I don't and I hardly trust a stranger who was just being chased by someone, but I'd feel much better if I knew you were safe from him for the night. The whole point of having a tea before heading to my place is so I can get to know you.”

“You're awfully transparent,” the woman droned.

“I try to be honest,” she said plainly. “What's your name, stranger?” 

“It's Bellatrix.”

“Well I think that's a very nice name, Bellatrix. I'm Hermione.” Bellatrix's mouth twisted in uncertainty. Hermione did her best not to look at her lips for too long.

“That's an unusual name,” Bellatrix said as she slid into a booth, Hermione slid into the opposite side.

“Almost as unusual as Bellatrix. Isn't that the name of a star? Whoever named you must have had some pretty big expectations.” Bella's lips became a thin line as she tapped her index finger's nail on the table. Hermione realized she was wearing black nail polish. 

“They did but as you can imagine their expectations didn't get me anywhere.” She practically spat that word expectations, as if it had left some foul taste in her mouth. Hermione frowned.

“Well, you're here. I suppose that's somewhere.” She snorted at that.

“Tent city is certainly somewhere.” Hermione leaned back, unsure of where to take the conversation. Thankfully a waiter stepped in.

“What can I get for you two? Do you need another minute with the menus?” 

“I'll take a black tea with cream on the side,” Hermione requested. Bellatrix scoffed.

“The same, but no cream for me.” The waiter nodded and bowed out of the conversation.

“You drink your tea plain?” She felt her nose wrinkle.

“You drink it with cream?” 

“Of course!”

“I didn't take you for an English woman.” She chuckled at that.

“And I didn't take you for someone that drinks black tea, but here we are. Making assumptions.” Silence fell again and Hermione wondered if she'd committed a faux-pas. “What am I allowed to ask you about?” 

“I suppose since you're so generously offering up your couch to me, whatever you'd like. Ask the right questions and you'll get the right answers.” Hermione crossed her arms and leaned forward so they could prop her up on the table. 

“Have you ever killed anyone?” Bella's eyes widened for a split second before she caught herself and put her poker face back on. Her lips pursed when she said,

“No. I haven't killed anyone.” Hermione had meant it as a joke but now she wasn't entirely convinced the woman was telling the truth. The way she said her I implied there was more to the story.

“You didn't kill anyone. Who did?” Her eyes furrowed but she didn't immediately give a reply. “I caught you, didn't I?” 

“You've just asked me if I witnessed a murder.”

“I did.”

“And I didn't give an immediate reply.”

“You didn't.”

“You know what that means, don't you?”

“I sure do.”

“Are you a cop?”

“No! I'm a graphic designer, as if I'd ever be a police officer. Who has the time to deal with other people's problems?” Bellatrix crossed her legs and rubbed her index finger and thumb together in thought.

“How do I know you're not the dangerous one? You helped me get away from the man I was running from but then you offered me a place to stay. Why? It surely can't be because you're nice.” Hermione didn't exactly miss the deflection, but the why made her wonder, too. Why did she want this woman off the streets? She literally didn't carry cash and she walked by homeless people all the time. She didn't want to be so callous and say it was because she was attracted to the woman, not that she wasn't a sight to look at, but she wasn't that shallow. Was she? She shook her head, no, she wasn't.

“I'm not dangerous,” she reassured, “I actually moved to the city just a few months ago and I'm still adjusting. Life's not quite as grandiose out here as everyone promised.” The waiter came over and the women nodded their thanks when she left their drinks and the check.

“I'll drink to that,” she scoffed.

“So who was he?” Bella lowered her mug back onto the table. 

“He was a lot of things to me, kind wasn't one of them,” she said flatly.

“I'm sorry. Do you think he's going to keep following you places?”

“Well he's been on my ass for a week, refuses to leave me alone longer than a few hours. I keep bouncing from place to place but he won't buzz off.” 

“Have you told the police?”

“The cops don't really care about homeless folks. I saw them manhandling some panhandlers earlier. It wasn't pretty.” Hermione sighed at that. She was right, the police in this city liked to push people around and take their signs. Why was it illegal to panhandle anyway? The government liked saying it prevented scams, but what about the folks that really needed help? There was a disconnect.

“I know what you mean.” Hermione took a sip of her tea before deigning to ask another question. “What does he want from you?” She waved her hand lazily. She was sitting with her elbow over the back of the booth seat, it was quite a sight.

“Don't know, can't say I care too much. So what do you say? Do you trust me?” Hermione shrugged.

“If you kill me in my sleep I suppose it won't really be my problem.”

“That's a horrible way to live, you know.”

“There are a lot of things that are horrible in this world, I don't think you're the worst person to cross paths with.” 

“Fair enough. Let's go then.”

**Author's Note:**

> Also: feel free to join the Bellamione Coven! [Linky link to the discord](https://discord.gg/rAKhWJQ) we even have new channels for andriomione and cissamione content.


End file.
